Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Original Articles

The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters

Published Online:September 01, 2006https://doi.org/10.1027//1015-5759.18.1.30

Abstract

Summary: This study analyzes the psychometric properties of the Spanish translation of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY; Matson, Rotatori & Helsel, 1983), which assesses the degree of appropriate social behavior. This social behavior self-report was applied to a sample of 634 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. The exploratory factor analysis isolated four factors: Aggressiveness/Antisocial Behavior, Social Skills/Assertiveness, Conceit/Haughtiness, and Loneliness/Social Anxiety, which accounted for the 33.28% variance. The internal consistency was high (α = .88). Correlations with similar self-reports, the Assertiveness Scale for Adolescents, the Teenage Inventory of Social Skills, and the Assertiveness Scale for Children and Adolescents, were statistically significant. Inappropriate social behavior measured with the MESSY correlated positively with the Psychoticism and Neuroticism scales, and negatively with the Extraversion scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Female adolescents obtained lower scores in Aggressiveness/Antisocial Behavior and in Conceit/Haughtiness, and higher scores in Social Skills/Assertiveness, displaying greater appropriate social behavior than male adolescents. No significant differences were found for gender in Loneliness/Social Anxiety, the only factor in which a worsening with age and a significant gender× age interaction effect were found.

References

References

  • American Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed).. Washington, DC: Author. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Anderson, J.C. Williams, S. McGee, R., Silva, P.A. (1987). DSM-III disorders in preadolescent children: Prevalence in a large sample from the general population.. Archives of General Psychiatry, 44, 69– 76 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Andrews, D.W., Francis, S. (1989). Development of Perceived Adolescent Relationship Scale.. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 69, 305– 306 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Beck, J.G., Heimberg, R.G. (1983). Self-report assessment of assertive behavior: A critical analysis.. Behavior Modification, 7, 451– 487 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Beidel, D.C., Randal, J. (1994). Social phobia.. In T.H. Ollendick, N.J. King, & W. Yule (Eds.), International handbook of phobic and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents (pp.111-129). New York: Plenum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Benjamin, R.S. Costello, E.J., Warren, M. (1990). Anxiety disorders in a pediatric sample.. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 4, 293– 316 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bijstra, J.O. Bosma, H.A., Jackson, S. (1994). The relationship between social skills and psycho-social functioning in early adolescence.. Personality and Individual Differences, 16, 767– 776 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Canals, J. Domènech, E. Carbajo, G., Blade, J. (1997). Prevalence of DSM-III-R and ICD-10 psychiatric disorders in a Spanish population of 18-year-olds.. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 96, 287– 294 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cavell, T.A., Kelley, M.L. (1994). The Checklist of Adolescent Problem Situations.. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 23, 226– 238 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Chou, K.L. (1997). The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters: Reliability and validity of a Chinese translation.. Personality and Individual Differences, 22, 123– 125 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Connolly, J. (1989). Social self-efficacy in adolescence: Relations with self- concept, social adjustment, and mental health.. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 21, 258– 269 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Connor, J.M. Dann, L.N., Twentyman, C.T. (1982). A self-report measure of assertiveness in young adolescents.. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, 101– 106 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Costello, E.J. Costello, A.J. Edelbrock, C. Burns, B.J. Dulcan, M.K. Brent, D., Janiszewski, S. (1989). Psychiatric disorders in pediatric primary care.. Archives of General Psychiatry, 45, 1107– 1116 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Del Greco, L. Breitbach, L., McCarthy, R.H. (1981). The Rathus Assertiveness Schedule Modified for Early Adolescents.. Journal of Behavioral Assessment, 3, 321– 329 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Deluty, R.H. (1979). Children's Action Tendency Scale: A self-report measure of aggressiveness, assertiveness, and submissiveness in children.. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 1061– 1071 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Dodge, K.A., Murphy, R.R. (1984). The assessment of social competence in adolescent.. Advances in Child Behavioral Analysis and Therapy, 3, 61– 96 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Essau, C.A. Conradt, J., Petermann, F. (1999). Frequency and comorbidity of social phobia and social fears in adolescents.. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 37, 831– 843 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Eysenck, H.J., Eysenck, S.B.G. (1975). Manual of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. . London: Hodder & Stoughton. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Eysenck, S.B.G., Seisdedos, N. (1978). Estudio internacional de la personalidad ‘International personality study’.. Revista de Psicología General y Aplicada, 33, 271– 281 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Farrell, A.D. Ampy, L.A., Meyer, A.L. (1998). Identification and assessment of problematic interpersonal situations for urban adolescents.. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 27, 293– 305 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Floyd, F.J., Widaman, K.F. (1995). Factor analysis in the development and refinement of clinical assessment instruments.. Psychological Assessment, 7, 286– 299 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Foster, S.L. Inderbitzen, H.M., Nangle, D.W. (1993). Assessing acceptance and social skills with peers in childhood.. Behavior Modification, 17, 255– 286 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Furnham, A. (1984). Personality, social skills, anomie and delinquency: A self-report study of a group of normal nondelinquent adolescents.. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25, 409– 420 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Furnham, A., Gunter, B. (1983). Sex and personality differences in self-reported social skills among British adolescents.. Journal of Adolescence, 6, 57– 69 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gilliland, J. (1977). Social anxiety factors: Relations to neuroticism, extraversion and self-disclosure. . Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee, USA. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Gismero, E. (2000). Escala de Habilidades Sociales ‘Social Skills Scale’.. Madrid: TEA. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Godoy, A. Gavino, A. Martorell, M.C., Silva, F. (1993). Escala de Asertividad ‘Assertiveness Scale for Children and Adolescents’.. In M. Forns & M.T. Anguera (Eds.), Contribuciones recientes a la evaluación psicológica ‘Recent contributions to psychological assessment’ (pp.247-264). Barcelona: PPU. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Goldberg, C.J., Botvin, G.J. (1993). Assertiveness in Hispanic adolescents: Relationship to alcohol use and abuse.. Psychological Reports, 73, 227– 238 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gottman, J. Gonso, J., Rasmussen, B. (1975). Social interaction, social competence, and friendship in children.. Child Development, 46, 709– 718 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Gresham, F.M., Cavell, T.A. (1986)). Assessing adolescent social skills.. In R.G. Harrington (Ed.), Testing adolescents: A reference guide for comprehensive psychological assessments (pp.93-123). Kansas City: Test Corporation of America. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Gresham, F.M., Elliot, S.N. (1984). Assessment and classification of children's social skills: A review of methods and issues.. School Psychology Review, 13, 292– 301 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Hops, H., Greenwood, C.R. (1988). Social skills deficits.. In E.J. Mash & L.G. Terdal (Eds.), Behavioral assessment of childhood disorders (2nd ed., pp.263-314). New York: Guilford. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Hymel, S. Franke, S., Freigang, R. (1985). Peer relationships and their dysfunction: Considering the child's perspective.. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 3, 405– 415 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Inderbitzen, H.M. Beyer, R.L. Halstenson-Sawyer, N., Groene, J.A. (1991, November). Identification of social behaviors important for adolescent peer acceptance: Implications for social skills training. . Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, New York, USA. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Inderbitzen, H.M., Foster, S.L. (1990). Adolescent friendships and peer acceptance: Implications for social skills training.. Clinical Psychology Review, 10, 425– 440 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Inderbitzen, H.M., Foster, S.L. (1992). The Teenage Inventory of Social Skills: Development, reliability, and validity.. Psychological Assessment, 4, 451– 459 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Inderbitzen, H.M., Garbin, C.P. (1992, November). An investigation of the construct validity of the Teenage Inventory of Social Skills: A convergent multivariate approach. . Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Boston, MA, USA. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Inderbitzen, H.M. Walters, K.S. Bukowski, A.L. (1997). The role of social anxiety in adolescent peer relations: Differences among sociometric status groups and rejected subgroups.. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 26, 338– 348 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Inglés, C.J. Hidalgo, M.D. Méndez, F.X. Inderbitzen, H.M. (2000). The Teenage Inventory of Social Skills: Reliability and validity of the Spanish translation. . Manuscript presented for publication. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Inglés, C.J. Méndez, F.X., Hidalgo, M.D. (1999). Fiabilidad y validez de constructo de la Escala de Asertividad para Adolescentes ‘Reliability and construct validity of the Assertiveness Scale for Adolescents’.. Unpublished manuscript, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kashani, J., Orvaschel, H. (1990). A community study of anxiety in children and adolescents.. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 313– 318 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kazdin, A.E. Matson, J.L., Esveldt-Dawson, K. (1984). The relationship of role-play assessment of children's social skills to multiple measures of social competence.. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 22, 129– 140 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kennedy, J.H. (1988). Issues in the identification of socially incompetent children.. School Psychology Review, 17, 276– 288 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Koegel, L. (1992). Assessment of assertiveness and social skills of adolescents.. In I.G. Fodor (Ed.), Adolescent assertiveness and social skills training: A clinical handbook (pp.43-61). New York: Springer-Verlag. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kohn, M. (1977). Social competence, symptoms and underachievement in childhood: A longitudinal perspective. . New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • La Greca, A.M. Dandes, S.K. Wick, P. Shaw, K., Stone, W.L. (1988). Development of the Social Anxiety Scale for Children: Reliability and concurrent validity.. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 17, 84– 91 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • La Greca, A.M., Lopez, N. (1998). Social anxiety among adolescents: Linkages with peer relations and friendships.. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 26, 83– 94 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • La Greca, A.M., Stone, W.L. (1993). Social Anxiety Scale for Children-Revised: Factor structure and concurrent validity.. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 22, 17– 27 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lee, D.Y. Hallberg, E.T. Slemon, A.G., Haase, R.F. (1985). An Assertiveness Scale for Adolescents.. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 41, 51– 57 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Liebowitz, M.R. Gorman, J.M. Fyer, A.J., Klein, D.F. (1985). Social phobia: Review of a neglected anxiety disorder.. Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 729– 736 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lindsay, W., Lindsay, I. (1982). A self-report questionnaire about social difficulty for adolescents.. Journal of Adolescence, 5, 63– 69 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Loranger, M., Arsenault, R. (1989). Self-evaluation questionnaire of social skills for adolescent in high school.. Journal of Adolescent Research, 4, 75– 91 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Loranger, M. Poirier, M., Gauthier, P. (1983). Self-assessment questionnaire on school-related social behaviors.. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 15, 94– 114 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Marin, G., Marin, B.V. (1982). Methodological fallacies when studying Hispanics.. In L. Bickman (Ed.), Applied social psychology annual (Vol.3, pp.99-117). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Matson, J.L. Esveldt-Dawson, K., Kazdin, A. (1983). Validation of methods for assessing social skills in children.. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 12, 174– 180 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Matson, J.L. Heinze, A. Helsel, W.J. Kapperman, G., Rotatori, A.F. (1986). Assessing social behaviors in the visually handicapped: The Matson Evaluation of Social skills with Youngsters (MESSY).. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 15, 78– 87 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Matson, J.A. Macklin, G.F., Helsel, W.J. (1985). Psychometric properties of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY) with emotional problems and self-concept in deaf children.. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 16, 117– 123 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Matson, J.L. Rotatori, A.F., Helsel, W.J. (1983). Development of a rating scale to measure social skills in children: The Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters (MESSY).. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21, 335– 340 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Méndez, F.X. Inglés, C.J., Hidalgo, M.D. (1999). Propiedades psicométricas del Cuestionario de Confianza para Hablar en Público: Estudio con una muestras de alumnos de enseñanzas medias ‘Psychometric properties of the Personal Report of Confidence as Speaker: Study with a sample of high school pupils’.. Psicothema, 11, 65– 74 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Michelson, L. Sugai, D.P. Wood, R.P., Kazdin, A.E. (1983). Social skills assessment and training with children. . New York: Plenum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Michelson, L., Wood, R. (1982). Development and psychometric properties of the Children's Assertive Behavior Scale.. Journal of Behavioral Assessment, 4, 3– 13 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Newcomb, A.F. Bukowski, W.M., Patte, L. (1993). Children's peer relations: A meta-analytic review of popular, rejected, neglected, controversial, and average sociometric status.. Pychological Bulletin, 113, 99– 128 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ollendick, T.H. (1979). Fear reduction techniques with children.. In M. Hersen, R.M. Eisler, & P.M. Miller (Eds.), Progress in behavior modification (Vol.8, pp.127-168). New York: Academic Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Ollendick, T.H. (1983a). Development and validation of the Children's Assertiveness Inventory.. Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 5(3), 1– 15 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Ollendick, T.H. (1983b). Reliability and validity of the Revised Fear Survey Schedule for Children.. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21, 685– 692 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rolf, J. (1972). The social and academic competence of children vulnerable to schizophrenia and other behaviour pathologies.. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 80, 225– 243 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Safren, S.A. Turk, C.L., Heimberg, R.G. (1998). Factor structure of the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Social Phobia Scale.. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 36, 443– 453 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Schneier, F.R. Johnson, J. Horning, C.D. Liebowitz, M.R., Weissman, M.M. (1992). Social phobia: Comorbidity and morbidity in an epidemiology sample.. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49, 282– 288 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Silva, F., Martorell, C. (1987). Batería de Socialización (Autoevaluación) ‘Socialization Set (Self-assessment)’.. Madrid: TEA. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Spence, S.H. (1980). Social skills training with children and adolescents: A counsellor's manual. . Windsor: NFER. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Spence, S.H., Liddle, B. (1990). Self-report measures of social competence for children: An evaluation of Social Skills for Youngsters and the List of Social Situation Problems.. Behavioral Assessment, 12, 317– 336 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Stenson, H. (1988). TESTAT 2.0. . Evanston, IL: Author. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Thyer, B.A. Parrish, R.T. Curtis, E.C. Nesse, R.M., Cameron, O.G. (1985). Ages of onset of DSM-III anxiety disorders.. Comparative Psychiatry, 26, 113– 122 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vaal, J.J., McCullagh, J. (1977). The Rathus Assertiveness Schedule: Reliability at the junior high school level.. Adolescence, 12, 411– 419 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Van Hasselt, V.B. Hersen, M. Whitehill, M.B., Bellack, A.S. (1979). Social skills assessment and training for children: An evaluative review.. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 17, 413– 437 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Verhulst, F.C. van der Ende, J. Ferdinand, R.F., Kasins, M.C. (1997). The prevalence of DSM-III-R diagnoses in a national sample of Dutch adolescents.. Archives of General Psychiatry, 54, 329– 336 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Vincent, N.R. Lopez, N.N., La Greca, A.M. (1995, November). Adolescents' social anxiety: Stability over time and association with peer relationships. . Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Behavioral Therapy, Washington, DC, USA. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Walters, K.S., Inderbitzen, H.M. (1998). Social anxiety and peer relations among adolescents: Testing a psychobiological model.. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 12, 183– 198 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Wilkinson, L. (1997). SYSTAT 7.0: The system for statistics. . Evanston, IL: Systat. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Wills, T. Baker, E., Botvin, G.J. (1989). Dimensions of assertiveness: Differential relationships to substance use in early adolescence.. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 473– 478 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Young, M.R., Bradley, M.T. (1998). Social withdrawal: Self-efficacy, happiness, and popularity in introverted and extroverted adolescents.. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 14, 21– 35 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Zwick, W.R., Velicer, W.F. (1986). A comparison of five rules for determining the number of components to retain.. Psychological Bulletin, 99, 432– 442 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar